How it Works

What does a NOAA weather buoy 3000 miles away in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean have to do with snow in Utah, Colorado & Wyoming? Good question! Since the dawn of time, humans have been trying to plan their powder days, a futile feat… until now. Is it magic? Is it science? Is it dumb luck? The answer may be yes to all of the above, but more than anything, the Powderbuoy is all about a positive vibration and energy that connects soul riders around the world.

““Yeahbuuuuooooyyyyyy””

- William Jonathan Drayton Jr.

It All Starts With the Buoy

Deep in the North Pacific, a lonely NOAA buoy floats, diligently collecting all sorts of weather data. No friends on a powder day? This lonely buoy may think its only friends are the passing birds who may stop by for a few; little does the buoy know how much happiness and joy it brings to people around the world on powder days.

Weather Prediction

Tracking buoys is nothing new; surfers have followed buoys since Gary Busey was dropping in on Big Wednesday to find out when swells are going to hit specific breaks. The Powderbuoy uses these same NOAA buoys in Hawaii and tracks the same energy that surfers ride in waves in Hawaii to forecast snow that we ride in our mountains. When the buoy pops, two weeks later you’re going to want to clear your calendar.

Plan Your Powder Flu

Don’t let those sick days go to waste, plan your flu and go get you some! That TPS report can wait for another day, you’ve got powder to ski. Yeahbuoy!

Go to the Buoy Dashboard

From the Blog

Powderbuoy Pilsner

Proceeds from Powderbuoy Pilsner sales go to the Utah Avalanche Center (Provided by Park City [...]

What is a Buoypop 101

In 2004 a friend of mine who lived part of the year in Hawaii and [...]

How do I interpret the plume data (Blue line graph)?

The Atmospheric Sciences Department at the University of Utah is one of the best, if [...]

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From Instagram

And so it begins…..welcome to 24-25 season. Just in time to get things teased up and exciting for the UAC party at the Park City Brewery on Sept 26th. More info to come, but will be a great time for a great cause! #yeahbuoy.

And so it begins…..welcome to 24-25 season. Just in time to get things teased up and exciting for the UAC party at the Park City Brewery on Sept 26th. More info to come, but will be a great time for a great cause! #yeahbuoy. ...

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A little nip in the air, ski movie trailers coming out, that means one thing, ski season is around the corner. As anyone who follows knows, I’m a big fan of the Utah Avalanche Center for all they do to keep us all informed and safe so we know before we go. This will be the 4th or 5th (I can’t remember) fundraiser we’ve done for @utavy and I invite you to come join us on Sept 26th for a great time. We raised over $30k last year, hoping to beat that number this year! Thank you @parkcitybrewing for hosting, and pouring Powderbuoy Pilsners, amongst other bevy’s as well. More info to come, but get some tix, get it on your calendar, and come have a good time. Link to buy tix is in profile above 👆#yeahbuoy

A little nip in the air, ski movie trailers coming out, that means one thing, ski season is around the corner. As anyone who follows knows, I’m a big fan of the Utah Avalanche Center for all they do to keep us all informed and safe so we know before we go. This will be the 4th or 5th (I can’t remember) fundraiser we’ve done for @utavy and I invite you to come join us on Sept 26th for a great time. We raised over $30k last year, hoping to beat that number this year! Thank you @parkcitybrewing for hosting, and pouring Powderbuoy Pilsners, amongst other bevy’s as well. More info to come, but get some tix, get it on your calendar, and come have a good time. Link to buy tix is in profile above 👆#yeahbuoy ...

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Best storm of the summer…so far. The show must go on #yeahbuoy

Best storm of the summer…so far. The show must go on #yeahbuoy ...

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Really outdoing yourself tonight Mother Nature, double rainbow then lightning show! Not a bad night for some Pink Floyd #yeahbuoy

Really outdoing yourself tonight Mother Nature, double rainbow then lightning show! Not a bad night for some Pink Floyd #yeahbuoy ...

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Cheers to summer and the days between. Cheers to amazing friends with us today and those who have moved to the other side. May the four winds always blow you safely home. #yeahbuoy

Cheers to summer and the days between. Cheers to amazing friends with us today and those who have moved to the other side. May the four winds always blow you safely home. #yeahbuoy ...

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Some wicked stripaaaah fishing last weekend. #yeahbuoy

Some wicked stripaaaah fishing last weekend. #yeahbuoy ...

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Did anyone else just see this? It disappeared at the end with a cloud of fog or something. Stars were clear, this had a fog around it.

Did anyone else just see this? It disappeared at the end with a cloud of fog or something. Stars were clear, this had a fog around it. ...

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Mind blower at the sphere tonight complete w some rad skiing during drums & space. Nicely done @chrisbenchetler and others. #Yeahbuoy

Mind blower at the sphere tonight complete w some rad skiing during drums & space. Nicely done @chrisbenchetler and others. #Yeahbuoy ...

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I thought I was hanging it up for the season, but what the hell, game on! #yeahbuoy

I thought I was hanging it up for the season, but what the hell, game on! #yeahbuoy ...

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Ski ya later! Ski culture never dies! 🌭 #yeahbuoy

Ski ya later! Ski culture never dies! 🌭 #yeahbuoy ...

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A couple of weeks ago I mentioned it may snow on the 26th/27th, well…. Here she is. Don’t pack em up & pack em in yet. Meanwhile, seems like a good day for 🌭. #yeahbuoy

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned it may snow on the 26th/27th, well…. Here she is. Don’t pack em up & pack em in yet. Meanwhile, seems like a good day for 🌭. #yeahbuoy ...

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Looks like that’s all she wrote for regular season, 621”! Pretty amazing after last year and considering the slow start. Back in December, who would have thought we’d stack such a great season? Then again, seasons aren’t stacked in inches, rather in memories, moments of laughter, face shots, untracked lines, pushing yourself a little further than you thought you could, sharing your love of skiing with your kids, powder days with friends (old and new), maybe an apres beer, and just generally being out in the magic of the mountains. What are some of your highlights? What are the things that make a season for you? Genuinely curious. #yeahbuoy

Looks like that’s all she wrote for regular season, 621”! Pretty amazing after last year and considering the slow start. Back in December, who would have thought we’d stack such a great season? Then again, seasons aren’t stacked in inches, rather in memories, moments of laughter, face shots, untracked lines, pushing yourself a little further than you thought you could, sharing your love of skiing with your kids, powder days with friends (old and new), maybe an apres beer, and just generally being out in the magic of the mountains. What are some of your highlights? What are the things that make a season for you? Genuinely curious. #yeahbuoy ...

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The tradition continues, happy tax day pow day! #Yeahbuoy

The tradition continues, happy tax day pow day! #Yeahbuoy ...

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15th coming into view, still a little sloppy, 0-40” ,but that should tighten up as we get into the weekend. What a great weekend of April skiing! My cup is not half empty, not half full, just plain ol full. Hope you got to enjoy. #yeahbuoy

15th coming into view, still a little sloppy, 0-40” ,but that should tighten up as we get into the weekend. What a great weekend of April skiing! My cup is not half empty, not half full, just plain ol full. Hope you got to enjoy. #yeahbuoy ...

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So do you remember that buoy pop from four days ago? Well, she’s still going & looks like it might be a five or six day storm starting around the 15th keeping the tax day pow day tradition alive. It ain’t over till it’s over. There’s one more storm floating out there in the middle of the Pacific heading towards Hawaii. Looks like it might pop on the 14th or 15th which would drop a storm around the 26th or 27th. #yeahbuoy

So do you remember that buoy pop from four days ago? Well, she’s still going & looks like it might be a five or six day storm starting around the 15th keeping the tax day pow day tradition alive. It ain’t over till it’s over. There’s one more storm floating out there in the middle of the Pacific heading towards Hawaii. Looks like it might pop on the 14th or 15th which would drop a storm around the 26th or 27th. #yeahbuoy ...

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